Lionel Messi takes selfie with young fan who ran onto field during Toronto FC game

Article content

Sometimes you have to take a big risk to get a big reward.

One young fan at Sunday’s Toronto FC game is probably in quite a bit of trouble for the stunt he pulled at the match against Inter Miami, but will have one heck of a story to tell his friends – and a selfie with Lionel Messi for proof.

During the second half of Toronto FC’s final home game of the season, a young fan jumped over the barricade and ran onto the field during a stoppage in play.

Messi’s security did an excellent job, showing off some incredible sprinting speed to intercept the youngster, getting to the kid several metres away from the superstar.

However, Messi made the young fan’s day – and probably life – by gesturing for security guard Yassine Chueko to let him through.

Messi shook the fan’s hand and then posed for a selfie while BMO Field security came over to then escort the kid off the field.

However, the risk didn’t pay off for other selfie-seeking pitch invaders.

After the youngster’s success, two adult fans decided to try their luck – to much different results.

The on-field security and police officers in attendance were a bit more aggressive in escorting them off the pitch and tackled the intruders to the ground.

After a third incident involving a pitch invader, an announcement was made over the BMO Field public address system that all those who ran onto the field would be indefinitely banned from all MLSE venues, which include Scotiabank Arena and Coca-Cola Coliseum.

With Miami having already wrapped up the Supporters Shield as the top team in MLS regular-season standings, Messi was not part of the Herons’ starting XI. He was subbed into the game with roughly a half hour left to play.

The visitors scored in the third minute of second-half injury time to walk away with three points and leave the Reds on the outside looking in for the MLS playoffs.